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Pristichampsus
Pristichampsus ("saw crocodile") is an extinct genus of pristichampsid crocodylian from Eurasia and possibly North America. Because the type species, P. rollianti, was based on insufficient material, the taxonomic status of the genus is in doubt, and other species have been referred to other genera, primarily Boverisuchus. History: Pristichampsus was first described and named as a species of Crocodilus, C. rollianti, by Gray in 1831 on the basis of remains from the Lutetian of France. Gervais (1853) assigned this species to its own genus, creating the new combination Pristichampsus rollianti. Other species have been referred to this genus. The genera Boverisuchus and Weigeltisuchus from the Lutetian of Germany as well as Limnosaurus from North America were synonymized with Pristichampsus and their type species were reassigned to it. Langston (1975) found Limnosaurus to be based on non-diagnostic remains, and therefore considered it to be in its own genus, as a nomen dubium. He also reassigned Crocodylus vorax from the Lutetian of Wyoming and West Texas to Pristichampsus. Efimov (1988) named two additional species of Pristichampsus, P. birjukovi and P. kuznetzovi from the Middle Eocene of Eastern Kazakhstan. Following a revision of the genus Pristichampsus by Brochu (2013), P. rollinati was found to be based on insufficiently diagnostic material and therefore is a nomen dubium. Boverisuchus was reinstated as a valid genus, and the species Weigeltisuchus geiseltalensis was considered to be synonymous with B. magnifrons. Brochu (2013) also reassigned P. vorax as the second species of Boverisuchus. According to Brochu (2013), material from the middle Eocene of Italy and Texas may represent other species of Boverisuchus. Description: Based on other pristichampsids, Pristichampsus is assumed to have had heavily armoured skin, and long limbs suggesting a cursorial (i.e. running/chasing) habits. It also had hoof-like toes, suggesting that it lived more on land than in the water, and that it therefore probably hunted terrestrial mammals. Pristichampsus's teeth were ziphodont; laterally compressed, sharp, and with serrated edges (characteristic of terrestrial crocodilians that are unable to dispatch their prey by drowning them). Due to their similarity to those of certain theropod dinosaurs they were initially mistaken for theropod teeth, leading paleontologists to believe that some non-avian dinosaurs survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. The species P. rollinatii shows further features adapting the animal to this lifestyle. The tail was more reminiscent of a dinosaur's, being round in cross-section and lacking the osteoderm crest observed in extant crocodile species. It would also have been capable of galloping and facultative bipedalism. However, this would only have been possible at high speeds as the centre of gravity moves in front of the pelvis. Gallery Wwb rise of mammals by rickraptor105 daiid2a.jpg 82e78dbf4713ffdb474088431ab070d6.jpg 15a1252db33184c62cf8032a0f050c2a.jpg 75349266_1598812823605825_2104081304469359267_n.jpg contemporaries_8.jpg 29400531_183650855763113_6703586570504503296_n.jpg pristichampsus-size.jpg Pristichampsus roll skel s.jpeg b19562c4c30358d34c9d4548b843ae4119aa3a38v2_00.jpg pristichampsus_kuznetzovi_by_king_edmarka_d805r6y-fullview.jpg Pristichampsus_Biped.jpg Category:Crocodilian Category:Primeval Category:Large Carnivores Category:Archosaurs Category:Fossils Category:Cenozoic Category:Giant Cenozoic animals Category:Cenozoic Reptiles Category:Crocodylomorphs Category:Apex predators Category:Prehistoric reptiles of North America Category:Extinct reptiles of North America Category:Prehistoric reptiles of Europe Category:Extinct reptiles of Europe Category:Pages in need of sourcing Category:Eocene animals Category:Eocene reptiles Category:Pliocene animals Category:Pliocene Reptiles Category:Cenozoic animals Category:Miocene animals Category:Miocene Reptiles Category:Neogene animals Category:Neogene reptiles Category:Pleistocene animals Category:Pleistocene Reptiles Category:Mesozoic animals Category:Mesozoic reptiles Category:Fossil taxa described in 1853 Category:Medium-sized carnivores Category:Medium-sized animals Category:Crocodilians Category:Oligocene animals Category:Paleocene animals Category:Paleocene Reptiles Category:Predators Category:Predator Category:Nomina dubia Category:Dubious genera